Wednesday, February 20, 2013

ARC Review: Velocity (Impulse #3) by Amelia C. Gormley

For
Detroit handyman Derrick Chance and his lover, Gavin Hayes, the holiday
season is filled with the promise of new beginnings. Gavin’s officially
moving in, and after the New Year, they’ll begin house hunting. But
they both know all the talk of gift exchange, whose holiday ornaments go
where, and what repairs and remodels will be needed to put Derrick’s
house on the market is only a smoke screen.

Before the month is
over, Gavin will have the final verdict on whether or not his
dangerously delusional ex, Lukas, infected him with HIV. No matter how
good Gavin’s chances appear with the three-month hurdle already passed,
neither he nor Derrick knows what the future holds for them.

The
holidays have always been a time of loss and mourning for Derrick, but
now he has to stay strong as Gavin’s own fears and doubts assail him
relentlessly. And when Lukas returns, unexpectedly penitent amid
troubling revelations, Gavin has to ask himself whether he can offer
Derrick the future he deserves, or whether these first few months of
happiness are the best they will ever get.

Review:
In Velocity the final book in the series, Derrick and Gavin are pretty much living together. They both know they're in it for the long haul, but there are some things left to deal with, things that could drive a permanent wedge between the relationship they're trying to make work. From the beginning Gavin shared that he could be HIV positive, and though Derrick was honestly terrified he stuck around and remained a constant support. Now Gavin must face off with the man who started it all.

The entire Impulse series deals with a pretty heavy hitting issue, but it’s not an angst or sob fest. The story of the two men coming together is surprisingly sweet, and they really set fire to the pages. Where I felt the first two books focused primarily on Derrick, Velocity was Gavin's time to his face his worst demons and find solidity in his relationship with Derrick. It's the holidays, and with the looming test results Gavin is scared, and when the very man who might have infected him comes begging for help, he's unable to walk away. Suddenly, he's filled with doubts, but he is determined to get some answers regardless of whether he will like them or not.

Amelia Gormley has taken a serious topic, and presented it in a realistic manner. Gavin's fears are real, and his worry for involving Derrick is believable. Though, the HIV thing could have been the entire focus, this book is really about Gavin standing up for himself and finding closure. Which thank the lord because he was becoming very frustrating. I really wanted to slap him upside his head, and Derrick’s passive attitude towards his stupidity irked me a lot. But I guess he really needed to figure this one out on his own, which making him getting a backbone at his disgusting ex all the more worthwhile.

Velocity, though tamer than book two is still a sexy fest. There are some hot scenes to melt the pants off your body. These characters have so much chemistry it’s freaking crazy. The very light D/s play really kicks it up the lovemaking a notch and have made me realize that I have a suspenders kink. I talk about sexy nerds, and Gavin is surely on that list.

The fact that these books are self-pubbed, and are so excellently written it should definitely be on everyone’s radar. The covers are gorgeous, the author's talent is legit, and the Impulse series is easily one of my faves. Gavin and Derrick are strong characters with a wonderful story that people should go out and discover for themselves. I can't recommend this enough!

Should You Read It? Seriously, you should go pick up all three books right now. Good point is that you don't have to wait and gobble up all three, and lose your pants all over the place. Amelia Gormley is an author to keep on radar, because I expect big awesmazing things to follow.